On the old northfield knife

[styler20053]

Should I attept cleaning the blade of the knife up? It has lots of crud on it but I dont want to take away any of it's value. The handle is beautiful still, big and heavy.

[remington collector]

I would coat the blade with some wd-40 , let it soak for a while, and go over it gently with some fine steel wool. No sandpaper or wire brushs. I've saw some knives that had lost almost all of their collector value due to over cleaning using improper techniques.

[El Lobo]

I might even try dishsoap and warm water, with a soft toothbrush wrapped in cotton cloth (like a piece of teeshirt), first. Then, maybe the WD40, especially if there is RED surface rust, as the WD40 will help to dissipate the rust. You don't want to remove any gray/black patina, as it's part of the natural aging process of the steel, and the black oxidation inhibits red oxidation. So, just dirt, blood, and the like...and retard any rusting or pitting with a tiny coating of mineral oil.
Please show us a picture before you clean it...as it sounds very cool.

Bill.